I’ve mentioned here several times that I’m a fan of that genre of soft rock from roughly 1975-1984 known as Yacht Rock. There are numerous great songs, lyrics, and sounds from this unique style of music.
For years, SiriusXM has had a Yacht Rock channel. It started out solid with the classics and even a few deep cuts in the mix. But the channel started adding songs that fell outside of the timeline and adding some stuff that skewed way too much toward R&B and jazz. “Sweet Freedom"? No thanks. “Smooth Operator”? Nope. “Morning Dance”? Seriously? And don’t get me started on that stupid “Georgy Porgy” song that SiriusXM’s Yacht Rock channel plays all the dang time.
I have a playlist on my Apple Music called “Yacht Rock (Plus).” It contains so many of the great tunes from that genre like “Cool Night,” “I’d Really Love to See You Tonight,” “What a Fool Believes,” and both the regular mix and 12” remix of “Lotta Love” (Trust me: The differences make it worth having both mixes.). But I also have some songs that may not be strictly Yacht Rock, but are arguably Yacht Rock-adjacent — including a few of the songs you’ll meet below.
So here’s a list of five songs — scratch that: four songs and one artist’s catalog — that I think belong in that glorious genre we call Yacht Rock. You may not agree, but your mileage may vary. Still, in my heart of hearts, I know I’m right. Check it out.
“Sail On,” The Commodores
The Commodores may have hit on the edges of the Yacht Rock sound with some of their soulful tunes, but they came even closer with one that brought some country into the mix. “Sail On” is an easygoing ballad that puts a bit of twang on the band’s signature R&B-pop blend.
Lionel Richie’s lyrics, which, depending on what story you believe, could be about his divorce or could be his kiss-off to the band, are melancholy but not maudlin. It’s easy to imagine this one playing on a radio as people party by the beach or lake. It’s right there in the title — I mean, “Sail On” — hello?
It may not have the quintessential Yacht Rock hallmarks, but “Sail On” sails in the same emotional waters, offering mellow heartbreak with a crisp, radio-ready breeze. It's closer to the genre than many realize.
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“Silly Love Songs,” Wings
This might be the most controversial choice, so hear me out. Yacht Rock is a mostly American phenomenon, 10cc, Ace, and Peter Beckett from Player notwithstanding, but if any British legend deserves to have a song among the Yacht Rock pantheon, it’s Paul McCartney. It fits into the Yacht Rock timeframe, and it’s as bubbly and buoyant as anything in the genre.
“Silly Love Songs” is deceptively sophisticated, and it’s got the right amount of polish for the Yacht Rock set. It’s a sweet summertime tune that’s not deep lyrically or sonically. It’s tongue-in-cheek, mocking love songs yet celebrating them, which reminds us of a lot of Hall & Oates’ forays into irony.
Maybe it skews a bit disco, but don’t let that stop you from singing along. You know you want to. Heck, if a non-Californian like Rupert Holmes can make the Yacht Rock canon with “Escape (The Pina Colada Song),” Sir Paul can, too.
“Pancho & Lefty,” Willie Nelson and Merle Haggard
I know what you’re thinking. Outlaw country as Yacht Rock? But stick with me because I believe I have an argument that’ll convince you.
It’s not about the song. “Pancho & Lefty” is as Western as it gets, and you’ll never mistake Townes van Zandt for Kenny Loggins. And Emmylou Harris’ version is no Nicolette Larson tune.
It’s not about the artists. Willie and Merle are the godfathers of outlaw country, although Nelson is one of the great stylistic chameleons of music history.
What it’s about is the production. Producer Chips Moman leaned into the country-pop “countrypolitan” sound hard. Clean guitars with barely any twang. Synthesizers that sound like they came straight out of a Mike Post-Pete Carpenter ‘80s TV show theme. Rim-click drums throughout the verses. Heavy, heavy reverb on the backing vocals. And Merle and Willie sing with a soulful resignation that’s not as demonstrative as their stronger outlaw stuff.
That’s why “Pancho & Lefty” has a smooth, comfortable, lived-in vibe that made it a hit on the adult contemporary charts. That vibe fits surprisingly in the Yacht Rock style.
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“Seven Year Ache,” Rosanne Cash
A certain strain of country music flirted with pop in the late ‘70s and early ‘80s; think Kenny Rogers, Juice Newton, and Eddie Rabbitt. The whole “Urban Cowboy” vibe bridged the gap between country and pop appealingly, nothing like the annoying fusion that modern pop-country has become.
One of the classiest examples of this phenomenon is Rosanne Cash’s “Seven Year Ache.” In fact, this is the song that inspired me to write this column. This appealing mid-tempo number was a pop crossover hit, and it’s easy to see why.
Producer Rodney Crowell, Cash’s then-husband, gives “Seven Year Ache” a glossy pop sheen, and the instrumentation doesn’t vary much from the sound you hear in Yacht Rock classics. It’s a sophisticated song, with a longing that matches the sometimes melancholy lyrics of some deceptively bouncy Yacht Rock classics.
Its 1981 release came right in the middle of the Yacht Rock timeline, and it’s got a smoothness that doesn’t demand much of the listener. Maybe we can call “Seven Year Ache” something like Yacht Country, which might become a future column.
Almost Anything Jimmy Buffett Recorded in the ‘70s and ‘80s
I will argue for Jimmy Buffett as a Yacht Rock stalwart until the day I die. His music may not fit the strictest sonic definition of Yacht Rock, but think of his output as a concept, a lifestyle, or a vibe.
Buffett’s music is tailor-made for the Yacht Rock lifestyle. Fun, humor, and escapism define so much of his output from that timeframe (and beyond). Even a wistful ballad like “Come Monday” has an easygoing, carefree appeal. Maybe his songs aren’t on the same musical plane as Toto, the Doobie Brothers, or Atlanta Rhythm Section, but for the vibe, you don’t get much closer to Yacht Rock than Buffett.
Do you have any Yacht Rock-adjacent songs that you think belong on this list? Let us know in the comments.
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